Cathleen's Cornered Market
Let's talk money .....
Let me ask you a question -- how much money have you got?
I'm talking the whole caboodle-- real estate, 401K, IRAs, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, MoneyMarket -- even those little tuckies under the table.
What does it all add up to?
I've got a sneaking suspicion that my email won't be flooded with people responding with their full names and giving me an itemized list of their net worth.
It's the last great taboo.
In a world where people wear their underwear on the outside of their clothes -- and even less on the Internet -- it's just not respectful to ask about money.
Which can sometimes make it difficult to maneuver in the world of investments when people tend to talk in generalities and not specifics.
That's where this forum, featuring live chats with a different expert each week, comes in.
I don't pretend to be an expert myself ; however, I do a fairly good job of asking the right people the right questions.
But here's the twist.....
I want you to join the discussion.
We've all known the feeling of seeing a news account and wishing the reporter had asked a specific question -- or perhaps they dropped the ball by not asking an important follow-up question.
Now you can be part of the discussion as it's taking place.
Simply join a Live Chat session and decide for yourself if you prefer to sit back and observe, or take part by asking your own questions.
Special guests will range from stockbrokers and investment counselors, to radio and television personalities, to individuals who have achieved a significant portfolio and will share some of the best and worst decisions they made in building their investments.
Regardless of whether you've just scraped together your first $100 and are ready to make your first investment, or your portfolio is much more advanced -- we'll likely all learn a lot from the experts .... and each other.
Best of all -- it's completely free. There are no hidden charges. No subscription fees. No seminars to attend. No books to buy.
The only thing required is your own Internet access.
I look forward to chatting with you soon,
Schedule of Upcoming Guests
Have a special guest in mind you'd like to see featured in an upcoming Live Chat? Drop me a note at my email on the bottom of this page, and I'll do my best to get them here!
My Favorite Investment Sites
YAHOO! Finance: http://finance.yahoo.com/lookup
Morningstar: www.Morningstar.com
Cathleen's Three Golden Rules
1. As my mother drilled in my head from the time I was in grade school -- do your homework. Do not take any bit of information you pick-up during any Internet chat to be your basis for any investment decisions. Read-read-read every piece of information you can get your hands on about the company you are about to invest in. Personally, I read the Wall Street Journal and the N.Y. Times every single day. I also check out various Internet sites, such as those listed under "my favorites" on this page. And, finally, I ask a lot of questions. Which brings me to my next rule.
2. Question everything you hear from both the experts and other chatters in Live Chats. It's not uncommon for chatters, and sometimes even the experts, to have hidden agendas. Someone may be trying to hype a stock, because they're planning to dump a load of it, which means they're trying to raise the price by having more people buying while they're selling -- don't fall for it. My way of avoiding this scam is to follow Rule 1 by doing my due diligence. Feel free to grill the person hyping the stock. My personal rule is to generally wait two full days after hearing a stock hyped on either the Internet, television or radio to let the market settle down and see if it's something I really want to own. While sometimes I may miss a better buy-in price -- generally, I get the stock at a fairer price.
3. My last bit of advice is to stay within your comfort zone. You will hear from many experts who will swear you must diversify-diversify-diversify. While I generally agree with that style, it's important you base your investment decisions on what feels right to you. Personally, I feel comfortable owning my own home, keeping my 401K in safer funds, and then indulging in riskier investments on my own. An expert would surely look at the top stocks I currently own and scream. "You're overloaded in tech, you need to diversify more!" But while that's great advice in general, it doesn't feel right in my gutt. I prefer to invest in companies which I've done hard research on, rather than spreading my investments into separate sectors for the sake of being diversified. I keep my eye closely on where my money is, and have no problem pulling it from one company and placing it somewhere else if I don't like what I'm seeing. I stick with the stocks that are working for me. But that doesn't mean you should invest the same way I do -- everyone needs to find their own comfort zone.
Live Chat Disclaimer
No information contained in Live Chat sessions constitutes a recommendation that any investment is suitable or advisable for any specific person or portfolio. All participants should be aware of the possibility that other chat participants and/or special guests may make statements which are misleading, inaccurate or deceptive, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Neither the sponsor of this session, nor myself, endorse, or carry any responsibility for, any information dispensed during Live Chat sessions. If you have any inside information about a stock or company, it is a violation of law and Live Chat terms and conditions to dispense of any such information during Live Chat sessions. It is not recommended, nor advisable, for participants in Live Chat sessions to base investment decisions on information garnered in these sessions. The bottom line is you should always conduct your own research, via multiple independent sources, regarding any investment opportunity prior to planking down your hard-earned money.